The Republic of Togo is mainly known for its phosphate deposits and export-oriented agricultural products like cocoa, coffee and groundnuts rather than as a tourist destination. Togo’s landscape ranges from different lakes and beaches in the south to beautiful hill country forests in the center and arid savannahs in the north. Thus, this Togo visa application post will serve as a guide for visitors and those who want to stay in Togo.
Encompassing around 57,000 kilometers, Togo is home to slightly below eight million people, most of whom worship Voodoo. Togo, located in West Africa, is bordered to Ghana in the west; by Benin eastwards; while Burkina Faso is positioned northward.
For tourist, Togo is such an amazing destination. Beyond its economic assets, Togo boasts a myriad of tourist attractions, from its stunning coastlines and rolling savannas to the vibrant markets and historic sites.
Togo Visa On Entry Policy
Every visitor except those who are West African Economic Community (ECOWAS) citizens must apply for Visa’s. Upon entering any of the major land border crossings as well as the airport in Lomé, you can obtain one-week extendable visas. At the Togolese Immigration Service, this will cost you 10000 CFA and it can be further extended for an additional fee of 30 days.
Even though it is open just from Monday to Friday, this office is positioned at a distance of around 8km away from Lomé city centre and so most probably you will be asked to come back again since applications are always not processed on the same day.
To remain in Togo for more than the duration of one week, it is advisable that you get your visa before coming. However, this may cause inconvenience. There is no online facility for this. You have to go personally to your nearest Togolese embassy.
You are required to submit all required documents including your passport, filled application form, four passport photographs, certificate of vaccination against yellow fever, insurance certificate as well as proof of return or onward journeys as well as hotel reservation.
Should all be in order, you can pick up your passport the next day between 3 and 5 p.m. A single entry 30-day visa from this provider costs £55; a multiple entry visa costs £65.
Visas Options Available In Togo
Knowing the several visa options will help you if you are preparing a trip to Togo. Here’s a quick synopsis:
1. Tourist Visa
Tourist visa are those issued to visitors visiting Togo either for leisure or travel. Tourist visas for Togo can range from about a day to thirty days, on average. To confirm how long you will be allowed to stay, look at the visa granted on your passport.
If you wish to stay longer in Togo, you can apply for an extension at the Directorate of National Security in Lomé, remember to submit your request well before the expiry date of your current visa.
Lomé-Tokoin Airport and different land border crossings with neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso are the main tourist entry points.
2. Business visa
You will require a business visa whether you intend to do business or go to conferences in Togo.
Business visas for Togo generally grant permission to stay for not more than 30 days, although this may differ. Look through the visa that you received for confirmation on the period meant for your stay.
If it is your wish to extend your stay in Togo, you can apply for an extension at the Directorate of National Security located in Lomé. It is important that you make applications before the expiry date of this old one.
3. Transit Visas
Transit visas Designed for visitors passing Togo on their way to another location. Visa requirements can evolve so check for any new details from the correct places before you start your application.
Make sure they are correctly filled out to avoid any delay or rejection. Start the Togo visa process long before you embark on the journey. Make duplicates of every document you have such as passport, visa application form, photographs, proof of travel arrangements, visa for next destination, travel itinerary, and yellow fever vaccination certificate which should be kept in safe places while you travel.
4. Student Visa
You will need a student visa should you intend to study in Togo. Typically valid for study program duration, student visa should cover entire period of a course program. Make sure to renew your visa if your coursework will take longer than the time it was granted.
Look up what international students can do about work permits in Togo. Some students may work when they are studying too.
5. Work Visas
Work visas are required should you intend to work in Togo. Most work visas are given for the span of time specified in a contract of employment. Make sure that your visa covers the total work period.
If by any chance your employment is prolonged past the date on which your visa expires, then you must apply for a renewal of this document ahead of its expiration. In case you will like to come along with family members, their applications for dependent may be required.
The procedure for applying and obtaining these Togolese visas takes between two and four weeks approximately. To avoid any hiccup whatsoever, it is prudent that you make an application long before the day you plan to start working there.
Togo Visa Application Steps
There are two ways to go about the application which are:
1. Seeking a Togo Visa On Arrival
Every national is entitled to obtaining a Togo Visa Upon Arrival. Nevertheless, its validity for stays inside the country lasts seven days only; after which you can extend it for ninety more days.
You can acquire a Togo Visa Upon Arrival from any of the main border crossings or from the visa issuing offices located at the international airport of Lomé. What you need are 15,000 CFA or euro/dollar equivalent as a charge and two passport sized photos together with an application form.
In order to stay longer than seven days, it would be beneficial to submit an application for visa extension at the Foreigners and Passport Service in Togo before your current one expires. Nevertheless, it is much easier for many tourists who know they want to remain in Togo beyond 7 days to apply for their visas first in any Togolese Embassy or Consulate than dealing with it later by applying for an extension.
2. Requesting A Togo Visa Before Your Trip
If you want to stay in Togo for over seven days, before leaving, obtain a visa at the Togolese embassy or consulate due to its essentiality. Generally, the procedure for visa application varies depending on a specific embassy or consulate; however, it may be broadly summarized as follows:
- Complete the Visa Application Form
- Prepare the necessary documents.
- Pay for the Togolese visa.
- Dispatch the files and application to the consulate or embassy.
- In long-distance situations, some diplomatic offices allow applicants to send their applications via mail.
- Wait for processing of the visa application.
- If your application is approved, you will either have to collect your passport personally or have it sent back to you depending on how you applied.
- At different consulates, different ways of paying for visas exist: through a bank transfer earlier or in cash at the time of application.
Togo Visa Eligibility and Documentation
1. Passport
The original passport or travel document from your nation should be in good shape free of any damage that might make it invalid. At least 6 months remaining validity on the date of travel and at least 2 visa pages free of any marks should define the passport.
2. Vacation Schedule
Your Togo’s round-trip flight reservation should include information on your departure and return flights together with verified booking references, thereby helping to establish your intended stay length and vacation plans.
3. Accommodation Proof
Reservation for lodging in Togo for the length of your trip should include your check-in and check-out dates, the name and address of the lodging, and confirmation of your booking, so helping to confirm where you will be staying throughout your trip.
4. Finance Records
Personal bank statements, pay stubs from your company, or tax records (all of which prove sufficient money for your stay and to leave Togo) help you to confirm that you have enough to support yourself during your stay and on your way back.
5. Trip Itinerary
Trip Itinerary is a summary of your reservation to and from Togo in your name, not a ticket; it should include your travel dates, aircraft numbers, and any layovers or connections. This document helps demonstrate your intended travel path and length of stay.
6. Payment of Visa Fees
Visa costs usually do not get refunded once the application has been rejected. Add that, so before paying ensure all of your documents are set. Go to the Togolese embassy or consulate website in your country to see how much do you need pay for your visa type.
Different structures of charges exist, meaning you must find the most legitimate data. For example, when applying for a visa to Togo we must pay certain fees. Important to note is that this amount should be paid to facilitate processing of any request.
Furthermore, visa fee amounts and ways of payment might change hence one should always refer back again when wanting more updated information concerning the matter.
Togo Embassy Or Consulate Locations
You might be wondering where to acquire the Togo visa application form if you are about to travel to that country. Luckily, you have some choices at hand. Visiting the Togolese embassy or consulate from your nation is first and most often used choice. You will have to schedule a visit to the consulate or embassy and furnish all required paperwork.
Togo now keeps roughly 35 diplomatic agents all over the globe. Find the closest Embassies, High Commissions, Consulate-General/Consulate-General, and other diplomatic posts of Togo overseas using the finder below.
Practical Tips And Advice For Togo Tourist
1. Visitation Time
Throughout the 12 months of the year, the temperature in Togo is usually between 28 to 32 degrees Celsius. Not even during night hours it goes below 25 degrees most of the time. The best time for visiting with cool weather conditions and no precipitation is from November to February.
March and April are excessively hot; most people would want to have nothing to do with them! Heavy rains usually occur in May, June, September and October, which means that it becomes difficult to drive on Togo’s dirt roads during this period.
2. Choice Of Clothes?
There’s no one need for a coat in Togo because of its warm temperature all year round; what is more useful during the rainy season is a rain jacket. Those that do not feel the cold as we do would have no need for jumpers. Given that there are many opportunities for hiking and trekking, it is wise to carry along shoes or even boots meant for walking.
Women must dress modestly if they want to avoid attracting too much attention on themselves. In terms of revealing dress and public display of affection between partners, Togolese tend to be more conservative than those in Ghana or Benin. A cap and some goggles are also helpful.
3. Food and Liquor
In a manner similar to the majority of West Africa, Togo is a country where its meals are largely based on starch products known as pâtés made from corn or yam. It is served with sauce. Fufu is one dish that can be found everywhere in Togo as a specialty.
It consists of mashed and cooked yam served with meat and vegetables. Djenkoumé is another popular dish that involves making a corn-flour pâté combined with different spice-formulations that are baked while accompanying fried chicken.
There is plenty great street food; all fried! This includes aloko (fried plantain), koliko (yam chips), gaou (bean-flour fritters) or wagasi (a soft cheese seasoned with hot spices). To counteract this oily assortment includes plenty of fresh fruits!
Many lager-style beers imported by Togo are refreshing after a long day in the sun. Usually made from millet, the native moonshine, tchoukout, is best avoided (in my opinion!). It is offered as shots! The same can be said for sodabe, a quite strong brew made from palm wine. Though they are always the full-sugar version, carbonated soft drinks are readily available. One finds very difficult to get diet drinks.
4. Commercial Transport
Here are some recommended transport options in Togo:
- Buses: Particularly for long-distance travel, buses are the most dependable and cosy means of getting about Togo. Although we didn’t use them, several travellers informed us Rakiéta was the most dependable airline.
- Bush Tax Agency: Usually covering outlying locations buses neglect, these are battered vintage vehicles. They could range from a family sedan to a minibus or pick-up truck. Development in one of them is often quite slow since they stop constantly to pick people up and drop others!
- Moto- Taxis: Most Togolese towns and cities have Moto, sometimes known as motorbike, taxis. For a little trip across town, they charge roughly 200 CFA (approximately thirtypence). In lomé, they cost more. Generally speaking, a car cab will run 2000 to 3000 CFA an hour.
- Auto: One can drive oneself in Togo. You will want an international driving permit. Police checkpoints abound, but typically they just pass you through. Although petrol outlets abound in cities, be sure you fill up before heading into rural areas.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to get Togo visa
1. Can I Apply For A Togo Visa Online?
Togo uses an e-visa system whereby you must apply and pay for their visas prior to arrival in Togo. Using your personal information, passport data, and trip arrangements, complete the Togo visa application online form. Upload the necessary supporting paperwork, including a digital copy of a passport-size photo and a copy of your passport bio page. Using a valid credit or debit card, pay the Togo e-visa charge.
2. What Documents Do I Need To Travel To Togo?
The following are the documents required to travel to Togo:
- Passport
- Passport type photograph
- Visa
- Yellow fever certificate
- A copy of letter of invitation
- Bank statement showing sufficient funds
- Hold proof of onward/return flights
- Itinerary flight ticket copies
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of travel arrangements
- A copy of travel insurance policy
- A valid email address for communication
- Payment of visa fees
3. How Much Does A Togo Visa Cost?
Togo’s visa cost are as follows:
- For a Togo Visa On Arrival: 15,000 CFA ($25).
- 30-day single-entry visa: around $70 (£55).
- 90-day single-entry visa: around $97 (£75).
- 30-day multiple-entry visa: appx. $85 (£65)
- 90-day multiple-entry visa: about $110 (£85).
4. What Are The Different Types Of Visas In Togo?
There are different types of Togolese visas, including tourist visas, business visas, study visas and work visas.
5. How Long Does One Process A Togo Visa Take?
Starting from the moment they receive your completed application, the processing time for application varies depending on the particular Embassy or Consulate. You should so plan to wait at least between 5 and 10 business days.
6. Does my travel to Togo call for a visa?
At least six days before your intended arrival in the nation, you need to apply for a visa, except if you are coming from one of the ECOWAS countries. Otherwise you would have to satisfy the Togolese government’s admission criteria whether staying longer (or working or studying, for business travel or for another reason).
Final Words
For tourists, business visitors, scholars and employees alike Togo is a land known for its untouched natural landscapes and cultural background. Therefore, it is important to acquire adequate knowledge on how to apply for visa in order to visit this country without any hitches or worries.
In order to avoid any delays in processing your visa, you should also be aware of various factors and payments involved that may determine whether your application will be accepted. Proper preparation and adherence to the guidelines provided by the Togolese authorities will help ensure your visa application is processed efficiently, allowing you to enjoy all that Togo has to offer.